Nandini Pandey works on the literature, culture, history, and reception of early imperial Rome. She received her BA from Swarthmore College, a second BA in Classics and English from Oxford University, an M.Phil in Renaissance English from Cambridge University, and an MA and PhD in Classics from the University of California, Berkeley. Pandey is author of The Poetics of Power in Augustan Rome: Latin Poetic Responses to Early Imperial Iconography (Cambridge, 2018), winner of the Classical Association of the Midwest and South’s 2020 First Book Prize. In addition to her research in traditional academic venues, she regularly publishes articles in the online journal Eidolon, on topics ranging from classics in modern media and politics, race and ethnicity in antiquity, and, most recently, classics in an age of coronavirus. Her work has been supported by the American Council of Learned Societies, Hugh Le May Senior Research Fellowship from Rhodes University in South Africa, Loeb Classical Library Foundation, and Fondation Hardt. Read more about Pandey and her work at nandinipandey.com.
“Though Western societies and institutions often promote racial diversity, we rarely articulate why
we value it, who stands to benefit, and whether our policies always advance social justice,” Pandey
writes. In her Academy project, “Diversity and Difference in Imperial Rome” (forthcoming), she traces
the valuation of diversity back to early imperial Rome and argues that, at its origin, it is
inextricable from the desire to dominate, consume, and incorporate. At the same time, Rome also
recognized—better than many modern states—the pragmatic political and economic benefits of
including and advancing constituent people regardless of race. Pandey zooms in on Roman streets,
dining rooms, gardens, bedrooms, and circuses as spaces where urban consumers encountered
concrete tokens of the empire’s geographical variety. It was in such spaces that Roman elites came
to know the world beyond their walls, admire and manipulate its diversity, and rehearse their own
dominance. In Berlin, Pandey will consult the collections of the Pergamonmuseum, Neues
Museum, and Altes Museum for evidence of trans-Mediterranean trade and collection. Her project
will shed light on Roman pluralism, write a new chapter in the history of diversity, and offer a
constructive critique of modern discourses and practices regarding race, immigration, and
integration.
Meet Nandini Pandey
A short portrait filmed at the Hans Arnhold Center, introducing the work and ideas behind fellows’ projects in Berlin.
Listen to the Podcast
Hear the full conversation, recorded live at the Hans Arnhold Center.
Upcoming events
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Past events
Lectures, readings, and conversations from the Academy’s public program.
Berlin Journal Articles
Essays, interviews, and creative work published in the Academy’s annual magazine.
Books
Books written by fellows of the Academy, many begun during a semester in Berlin.
Videos
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Fellow Spotlight: Nandini Pandey
Nandini Pandey says that Rome recognized the pragmatic political and economic benefits of including and advancing constituent people regardless of race.
Roman Diversity: Modern Lessons from an Ancient Empire
Nandini Pandey explores the literary and material remnants of Roman diversity.
Podcasts
Recorded conversations from the Hans Arnhold Center.
Who Is Classics For?
In this podcast episode, Nandini Pandey brings to light a more detailed picture of the heterogenous makeup of the ancient Roman world — and what that means for our own.
Explore Past Fellows
Hakim Abderrezak
Marco Abel
David Abraham
